Archives for August 2017

This is a two-tier promotion. The next paragraph features for-pay membership shopping clubs, and the paragraph after it features open online retailers.

If you are a member of either one of these two membership clubs, you can get the new condition Bose Soundlink Bluetooth closed-back on-ears for $140 [was $160] with free shipping at either BJS.com or Sam’s Club.

If not, or if you don’t want to shop at those two places, you can get this in new condition for $179 with free shipping and $9 promotional rewards (to be spent in future purchases) at authorized dealer Adorama.com.

Hide your wallets! Or call your Spouse aka CFO to authorize this purchase! The new condition FOCAL ELEAR open-back over-ear headphones are on sale, in new condition, for a limited time for $699 with free shipping at Adorama.com. They are an authorized dealer, they come with the 2-year Focal warranty.

The parade of new headphones never stops! The brand new Klipsch R6 II in-ears, in the black color schemes, with those Klipsch-y oval tips, are now in-stock and ready to ship for $59 with free shipping at amazon.com.

These are so new they have no customer reviews, and no questions answered. As the name suggests, these are a follow-up to the R6 line which has a variety of models of different kind under this brand.

Do you have a DAP or a PAD (using a phone as a DAP) that you always run out of space for your music files? Well, if your device(s) are capable of dealing with 400GB microSDXC cards, Sandisk has a temptation for you, their new 400GB Ultra microSDXC Class 10 card going for $250. This also as the “A1” rating for Android smartphone/tablet use.

This is another one of the many new products that are raining this week at IFA 2017 🙂

The new condition Beyerdynamic T70 Tesla closed-back over-ear headphones can be yours for a limited time for $175 with free shipping at Sonix Electronix after you enter coupon code AUDIOBLISS10 in their shopping cart.

Back to existing headphones as we interleave IFA releases and regular deals. The new condition Final Audio Design Heaven II Gris Bleu Balanced Armature Earphones go for $89, but if you are comfortable with used earphones, you can get them in “Used – Like New” (damaged original packaging) for $69 with free shipping at Amazon Warehouse Deals.

Building on the success of the MDR-1000X, Sony is expanding that line with earphones too. The new WI-1000X is a neckband bluetooth earphone, a parallel model to the new WH-1000X M2, and it is priced in that range too.

The neckbands will have a sticker-shock (?) starting price of $300 in black or gold and they are available for pre-orders at Amazon with a mid-September 2017 release estimate.

UPDATE: also part of the 1000X line-up is a new “truly wireless” line, the WF-1000X. This too is available in gold or black, and has a starting price of $200, with a mid-September 2017 release estimate according to amazon.com.

The reason you are seeing an increase in new headphones is because this week, in Berlin::Germany, the IFA 2017 high tech trade show is happening. I am keeping an on-going tracking posts that summarizes the New Headphones of IFA 2017.

Following the success of the MDR-1000X, Sony is coming back at IFA 2017 with a new model and a slightly different name. The new WH-1000X M2 (Mark 2) is a $350 closed-back over-ear with ANC and bluetooth, touch controls, and support for both apt-X HD and LDAC (Sony’s).

This will be available in two colors (black or gold color schemes) and it is expected to ship mid-September 2017. Already pre-orders are available at amazon.com.

This was a crowdfunding project that did not become an audiophile blockbuster, but if you read up on them and you are curious enough to test/compare them, the SHARKK Bravo hybrid electrostatic closed-back over-ear headphones are available in new condition for $50 with free shipping by marketplace seller “BREED” through amazon.com. They ship directly from BREED and they are not Prime eligible.

The headphones average 3.5 out of 5 based on 26 customer reviews. Their starting price was $300.

The new condition Sony MDR-XB-650BT closed-back over-ears Extra Bass bluetooth headphones go for $80+ in new condition at authorized Sony dealers, but if you want to experience these for half the price and you are willing to go The Way of the Used, then…

… there are many and more used listings of the black color scheme in “Used – Very Good” condition for $37~ with free shipping by Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD) actual. Also there, “Used – Like New” goes for $39~. Since there are five pages of listings, even if you don’t want them now, you may want to keep an eye on them in case of future discounts.

They are part of the AWD Bargain Bin where things are discounted by 50% off or more.

The link above to AWD only shows the listings that are sold by AWD actual (that’s Amazon as the seller, their used persona, and Prime eligible). Sony being a popular and recognizable brand, their used listings are often a wild west.

You can find lower prices, but before you buy, make sure you are buying from a reliable seller ~ here are the unfiltered listings, showing the lowest price per color. Click on the “See all offers for this product” next to the color(s) of choice (black, blue, red) to see the detailed listings for that particular color.

In new condition, the red color scheme of the closed-back NAD VISO HP50 headphones goes for $150 by a marketplace seller fulfilled by Amazon.

But if you don’t like the red color, or you prefer a lower price, the black color scheme is available in “Used – Acceptable” condition for $113~ [no details provided) or $121~ in “Used – Good” condition [no details provided) by Amazon Warehouse Deals actual.

As usual, when shopping at Amazon Warehouse Deals (AWD), pay attention to who the seller of a product is, not just the price. Not all AWD sellers are of equal risk or quality. To lower risk, you may consider buying from AWD actual, or fulfilled by Amazon, since you would be dealing with Amazon’s shipment, payment and customer support instead of the marketplace seller directly. But there are some quality marketplace sellers that ship directly (not fulfilled by Amazon) ~ they are typically well-known B&M authorized A/V dealers that also operate online.

This sold out fairly quickly. As of 5pm ET, it’s already out of stock and cannot be ordered…

It’s Eggbuster time at NewEgg! They are offering the older new condition Bose MIE2 earphones for $40 with free shipping, sold by NewEgg actual, at the NewEgg website and the NewEgg Business website. The sale ends next Wednesday or earlier if sold out.

This is an older model. I’ve used one of these variations, and their biggest benefit is their StayHear tips that hold on to your ears. They are not IEMs, neither earbuds. They have a speaker-y protrusion that enters the ear canal but does not create a seal. So you can hear the outside world, but since you won’t get a seal, you won’t get an ideal sound either. As it goes with the Bose reputation, convenience and comfort are their priorities and/or areas of expertise.

IFA 2017 is upon us, and to celebrate this, we have began our customary mega round-up post, the New Headphones at IFA 2017. As with previous iterations of CES and IFA reference posts, they will be updated multiple times in the next few days as more and more items are revealed and added to the posts.

Coming early in the day on 8/31/17 will be the official reveal of the LG V30 with its magical audio features 🙂 You can even watch the event live from Berlin (YouTube embedded below):

Not as rare as a unicorn, but free standard US shipping is not that common at the Monoprice website, which is why it is a good time when they offer this on select products for a limited time. One such case are the Monoprice Dual Driver earphones, model 14456 (aka the PID), for $9 with free shipping. No coupon needed for this. You can buy as many as you like. This averages 3.9 out of 5 based on 57 customer reviews.

Sale time! The new condition JBL Bassline closed-back over-ear DJ-styled headphones are on sale as a special sale for $25 with free shipping at Adorama.com. A carrying case is included. Here’s a short 360-video of the headphone from the JBL YouTube…

These are not as common, headphones with built-in speakers! Monoprice is offering the new condition 2-in-1 Bluetooth Headphones with External Speakers, model number (aka PID) 15276, going for $27 with free standard US shipping. This is a limited time promotion. No coupon is needed.

Fostex the Massdrop people! These are biodynamic headphones, not everything Fostex makes is planar magnetic 🙂 Running right now is a trio of Fostex TH-X00 variants (sounds like smartphone-talk) going for $400 in Mahogany, $450 in Ebony, and $500 in Purpleheart. No Ivory 🙂

These are drops that run daily, because of the way the Massdrop website is structured ~ they don’t have a standard / normal listing like Amazon or BestBuy or Newegg and such. Instead they have listings that have to have a starting and ending date. So they keep opening and closing them, so orders can ship quickly.

On the budget bluetooth earphones front, the Panasonic RP-HJE120B, a follow-up on their best selling budget RP-HJE earphones, with bluetooth now, is on sale for $33.31 with free shipping in the red color scheme at amazon.com. Two of the other colors go for around $35, while the white is at $39.

All together they average 3.4 out of 5 based on 98 customer reviews with 13 answered questions. This is not a lightning deal but an organic sale or price-match.

If you are looking for very low priced basic earphones with shallow insertion, and you like to color code them for different usages or different persons, the JLab Audio JBuds are back in-stock again at amazon.com going for $3 per pair in new condition.

They are available in three color schemes, so you can color code them if you are buying for kids or grand kids, or for kids of all ages that keep breaking or losing their earphones. You can buy as many as you like. They average 2.8 out of 5 based on 1800+ customer reviews, so don’t throw away your CIEMs 🙂

These are however an ADD ON item, so your order total must be $25 or higher ~ in any combination of products shipped or fulfilled by Amazon actual.

Speaking of bluetooth with ANC over-ear headphones, the new condition Sony MDR-100ABN in the black color scheme is currently on sale for $195 with free shipping by Beach Camera, with the order fulfilled by Amazon, so you get free 2-day shipping if you are a Prime member. The same price is also available by Amazon actual, but Beach Camera currently gets the main spot in the listing.

LivingSocial got purchased by Groupon, which is why these days their websites look more similar than they used to. And at the moment they are running another coupon promotion at Livingsocial, coupon SAVENOW can get you the new condition Bose Quiet Comfort 35 ANC BT Over-Ears for $275 with free shipping in the black color scheme. The other color is currently sold out. This is a limited time offer.

PS: if you are planning to place an order there, how about this adorable elephant tea mug ($9 before coupon).

If you don’t want to wait for a future sale of the good old Sony MDR-7506 (actual) studio headphones, you can get them in “Used – Excellent Plus” condition for $52.50 plus shipping (starts at $7) at authorized Sony dealer Adorama.com. These come with a 30-day return policy and a 90-day warranty by Adorama, so factor that in the price if price-comparing used offerings.

PS: if you don’t see them in the link above, it means they sold-out in used condition. Availability of used inventory varies.

Thanks to the miracles and wonders of instant savings promotions, the new condition Beyerdynamic DT 1350 Closed-Back On-Ears in the Gold Edition are on sale for $90 with free shipping at Focus Camera until 8/31/17 or earlier if sold out.

While updating the Latest Deals Summary, I was reminded that the USED “Very Good” condition (damaged original packaging; cosmetic imperfections) Jaybird X2 bluetooth earphones continue to be available for $20~ at Amazon Warehouse Deals in the “Storm” color scheme. The other colors go for a lot more. All together they average 3.3 out of 5 based on 5500+ customer reviews. This is the previous generation model.

You can put your Prime membership to work with this, you can get the Used “Very Good” condition a-JAYS Five Earbuds for iOS in Black for $1.46 by Amazon Warehouse Deals. Prime members get free 2-day shipping even though it’s a sub-$2 item. Shhh, apparently they haven’t restricted used items with ADD-ON designations 🙂

PS: if you are not a Prime member, you need a $25+ order for free shipping. This can help you get there, you can buy up to three Electronics Cleaning kits for sub-$2 each (they are ADD-ON items).